Once you’ve made our homemade strawberry lemonade, there’s no going back to concentrate (or bottled!). Just like homemade lemonade and matcha lemonade, using fresh ingredients takes ordinary drinks to another level that’s hard to come down from!
This strawberry lemonade is tart, sweet, and has the perfect amount of strawberry flavor. If you have an abundance of strawberries this summer, this is the perfect recipe to enjoy them! Make a big batch for guests to enjoy by the pool or for any summer day you want a sweet treat.
We love infusing strawberries into a simple syrup so you get all the sweet berry flavor without the pulp, which can make it tricky to suck through a straw, which is the only way to enjoy lemonade if you ask us!
This is also a fun drink to make with kids. They can help squeeze the lemons and stir everything together in a big beautiful pitcher. And, of course, they won’t have trouble emptying every last drop of this sweet and delicious lemonade!
All that stands between you and a refreshing glass is 3 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time!
How to Make Strawberry Lemonade
Ingredients
Process
- Pour 1 1/2 cup water, sugar, and 14 ounces of strawberries into a small pot. Simmer over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and boil for about 15 minutes.
- Strain strawberries from the syrup and let it cool.
- Transfer strawberry simple syrup to a large bowl and stir in the lemon juice. Stir in the remaining water. Fill a large pitcher with ice.
Garnish Ingredients
- Fill glasses with ice, lemon slices, remaining strawberry slices, and mint sprigs (if using). Pour lemonade into glasses and serve.
Expert Tips
- If you don’t have fresh strawberries, use frozen! Frozen berries are perfect for when you don’t have access to in-season berries or if you have a large harvest of berries and want to enjoy homemade strawberry lemonade all season long!
- Don’t make the mistake of using bottled lemon juice. We know it’s way more convenient, but bottled juice often has a bitter or strange aftertaste. You’ll get the best fresh lemon flavor with freshly squeezed juice.
- Avoid watered-down lemonade. If you’re serving it from a large pitcher with ice, add less water so the lemonade isn’t watered down. The best way to avoid watered-down strawberry lemonade is to add ice to the glasses you’re serving it in.
Make Ahead and Storing Instructions
To make ahead: You can make your strawberry simple syrup and squeeze your lemons up to 3 days before mixing them for your lemonade. Store the simple syrup and lemon juice in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to mix.
To store: Store leftover lemonade in a covered pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The lemonade may last up to 7 days, but will taste freshest if drank within the first couple of days.
To freeze: Make your strawberry lemonade and freeze it in an ice cube tray to keep it fresh for up to 3 months. When you want your lemonade, take a few ice cubes and let them thaw in the refrigerator!
FAQ’s
Yes! You can easily turn this recipe into strawberry limeade by swapping all or most of the lemons for limes.
Add a shot of white rum, vodka, or tequila to a glass of strawberry lemonade for a refreshing summer cocktail. For a mocktail, make the strawberry lemonade as is, garnished with fresh mint and sliced berries.
If you like your strawberry lemonade more tart and less sweet, you can either reduce the amount of sugar used in the strawberry simple syrup or add an extra lemon or two to the pitcher to counteract the sweetness.
Best Dishes to Serve with Strawberry Lemonade
Strawberry lemonade is a refreshing drink for any cookout or picnic. Try any of these dishes to serve your strawberry lemonade with!
- Fresh Summer Appetizer Plate
- Summer Steak Salad
- Grilled Peach and Burrata Crostini
- Coconut Shrimp Summer Salad
- Grilled Zucchini Tacos
- Hoisin Baby Back Ribs
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Strawberry Lemonade
INGREDIENTS
lemonade
- 5 1/2 cups water divided
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 pound strawberries stemmed, sliced and divided
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 8 lemons)
- lemon slices for garnish
- mint sprigs optional garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pour 1 1/2 cup water, sugar and 14 ounces strawberries into a small pot.
- Simmer over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and boil, about 15 minutes.
- Strain strawberries from syrup and cool.
- Transfer strawberry simple syrup to a large bowl and stir in lemon juice.
- Stir in remaining water.
- Fill a large pitcher with ice.
- Fill glasses with ice, lemon slices, remaining strawberry slices and mint sprigs (if using).
- Pour lemonade into glasses and serve.
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